Anyone kept their own pigs?

8 replies

Daisymoo · 08/12/2006 13:19

Wasn't sure where to put this, but as they would be for eating, I thought Food was the best place?

Has anyone done this before? I'm thinking of getting a couple of pigs after Christmas with a friend with a view to fattening them up and eating them later on. Has anyone got any tips?

OP posts:

NOELallie · 08/12/2006 16:20

I haven't but my parents did in the 60's. Don't remember much personally but mum talks about it. They kept 2 sows from piglets. You can give them all the kitchen scraps which isn't permitted commercially anymore. So they are quite handy mobile compost bins. Quite a good tip is to put them on your veg garden for a while - they fertilise it and give a good digging over.

Horrible bit was getting them bumped off Mum said she cried for about 12 hours solid - they are real characters.

Mirage · 08/12/2006 21:16

My neighbours have just bought 6 weaners with this intention.I'll let you know how they get on.

Do you have a local abbatoir? It may be worth finding out in advance as they are few & far between these days.(It is illegal to slaughter them yourself).

Good luck-we are considering the same thing,but won't keep them in the garden-they make a hell of a noise.

hatwoman · 08/12/2006 21:19

I think it was Winston Churchill who said that cats look down on you, dogs look up to you, and pigs treat you as an equal. I'm quite pragmatic about meat but not sure I could trust myself to do the deed. are you?

DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 08/12/2006 21:20

We kept two last year from November through to March and are planning to get three more in the new year.
A mobile slaughter man came to our house to do the deed and my dh did all the butchering (He did the Pig in a Day course at the River Cottage)

We spent a fantastic weekend making sausages,brawn (yuk) cured hams, bacon and made salami.

hatwoman · 08/12/2006 21:22

this thread here was quite entertaining. I thought, from that, that you douln;t feed them waste? the bit about a pig-walking license is wonderful

Original poster

Daisymoo · 13/12/2006 22:54

Thanks all. I'd be interested to know how your neighbours get on mirage.

OP posts:

NOELallie · 15/12/2006 14:26

There is nothing on that thread now ....

However I think that the risks of spreading disease are minimal especially if the waste is vegetable waste rather than meat/dairy, and it's only not allowed at all if the meat is for commercial use. During the war it was essential. However I'm sure that rules have changed since my parents did it.

KathyMCMLXXII · 15/12/2006 14:30

I think this is the sort of thing they talk about in the chatrooms at rivercottage.net - sure you'd find lots of advice there.

(Couldn't do this myself but would love to know how you get on - maybe you could post regular progress reports!)

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